Computational Quantification of Peristalsis in Preclinical Mouse Models Using Smartphone Videography

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Computational Biology
• Preclinical Research

Background:

• Gastrointestinal motility disorders impact numerous diseases and treatments.
• Existing methods for measuring peristalsis in vivo are often impractical and lack standardization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, accessible computational method for quantifying gut peristalsis.
• To enable standardized, quantitative analysis of gastrointestinal motility in preclinical models.

Main Methods:

• A computational pipeline was developed to analyze videographic data from mobile phone recordings.
• The method tracks motion correlating to gastrointestinal transit in preclinical mouse models.

Main Results:

• The method successfully quantified peristalsis in various mouse models, including germ-free and conventionally housed.
• It detected and measured changes in gut motility influenced by drugs (methacholine), microbiome composition, and colonic anatomy.

Conclusions:

• This computational tool offers a versatile solution for preclinical drug screening and mouse model evaluation.
• The methodology has the potential for expansion to non-gastrointestinal applications.